Best Appetizer Recipes
Roasted Baby Eggplants
With their caramelized exterior and velvety insides, these bite-size eggplants are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Serve with marinara for an especially irresistible side dish. Midsummer through the first frost is the ideal time for eggplant, and the baby varieties offer a little something special where this edible berry is concerned. Though commonly used as, and therefore considered,…
Fresh Tomato Bruschetta Dip
Traditional tomato bruschetta is reinvented as a dip for a fresh, flavorful appetizer that tastes like summer at its best! This summery dip began as an easy appetizer after a day at the beach in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. We’d buy tomatoes at the farmers market just down the road－Clinton Conover Farms. (As an interesting…
Grilled Sausage Bites
Crisp, golden, grilled sausage bites may just be the easiest appetizer with the most crowd appeal! Who knew something so easy could be such a hit? Smoked sausages are an excellent choice for a backyard barbecue or any casual get-together with friends and family. Perfect hot off the grill, the sausages are equally exquisite served…
Creamy Horseradish Sauce
Worthy of your favorite steakhouse, this speedy sauce enhances beef tenderloin, prime rib, grilled sausages, roast beef sandwiches, and so much more. Before I address the merits of this versatile sauce, I thought it would be fun to briefly discuss the heat aspect of horseradish…which is, by the way, a root vegetable in the mustard…
Best Breakfast Recipes
Blueberry Peach Yogurt Muffins
Loaded with whole grains, protein, calcium, and a generous dose of naturally sweet fruit, these muffins offer an easy, nutritious, and decidedly delicious way to start the day! As with many recipe on this site, the following peach- and blueberry-studded muffins came about thanks to a different recipe. Black and Blueberry Oat Muffins were such…
Egg White Muffins
A filling, wholesome, grab-and-go breakfast, egg white muffins are protein-rich, reheat well, and freezer friendly. Plus, there are options to use the whole egg, vary the add-ins, and customize for vegetarians and meat lovers alike. I’m the sort of person who likes to know what I’ll be eating for breakfast before I go to…
Homemade Sausage
Enjoy sausage with all the flavor of classic Italian sausage but without nitrates, nitrites, and other ingredients you prefer to avoid. There’s an oft-repeated saying that bacon makes everything better. Cooking with sausage is much the same way. From pizza, pasta, and egg sandwiches to soups, stews, spaghetti sauce, and casseroles (I could go on!),…
Easy Egg Taco
Protein-rich tacos require just three basic ingredients and provide a speedy meal solution whenever needed. A satisfying alternative to fast food that tastes great any time of day! Fast food can be a time-saving treat, but what if I said you could make something just as satisfying in less time than it takes to…
Best Dinner Recipes
Roasted Baby Eggplants
With their caramelized exterior and velvety insides, these bite-size eggplants are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Serve with marinara for an especially irresistible side dish. Midsummer through the first frost is the ideal time for eggplant, and the baby varieties offer a little something special where this edible berry is concerned. Though commonly used as, and therefore considered,…
Salmon (or Chicken) Caesar Wraps
Light, crisp Caesar wraps are a no-cook, no-wilt, hand-held alternative to the classic salad. Flexible, filling, and brimming with flavor! As someone who grew up with sandwiches as the staple lunch fare, I was slow to join the wrap craze when it arrived years ago. The texture and thickness of my go-to whole grain bread…
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Wholesome and hearty stuffed acorn squash is an all-in-one meal that’s bursting with savory flavor. It even comes with an edible bowl! Acorn squash always makes me think of my grandmother. The dark green vegetable, with its signature splotch of orange, was not something we ate at home. My grandmother, however, cooked with it often.…
Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup (or Sauce)
Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup is an ideal way to use an abundance of tomatoes and can be adapted to include additional produce, proteins, and pasta. Delicious as a sauce too! Consider this an added value recipe. For starters, it’s an easy way to make practical, even long term, use of seasonal produce. (It freezes well.)…
Best Salad Recipes
Salmon (or Chicken) Caesar Wraps
Light, crisp Caesar wraps are a no-cook, no-wilt, hand-held alternative to the classic salad. Flexible, filling, and brimming with flavor! As someone who grew up with sandwiches as the staple lunch fare, I was slow to join the wrap craze when it arrived years ago. The texture and thickness of my go-to whole grain bread…
Curried Chicken Salad
Tender chicken is bathed in a light, creamy, curry-spiced dressing and studded with crisp celery and crunchy cashews for the ultimate chicken salad you’ll crave for every potluck, backyard BBQ, packed lunch, and casual dinner. I meant to post in the summer of 2015, and here we are 10 years later! This recipe for curried…
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Popular Mexican street fare is reinvented as a flavor-packed salad that’s quick to prepare and always a hit! I’m pretty sure I was a college graduate before I witnessed someone putting anything but butter and salt on corn on the cob. After all, I grew up in Lancaster County where corn is frequently consumed the…
Classic Kale Caesar Salad
My very favorite (and easy!) Caesar dressing pairs beautifully with shredded kale for a hearty salad that can be enjoyed as a versatile side dish or as a complete meal with the addition of a protein of choice. When contemplating the salads I make most often, this super satisfying number is most definitely in my…
Best Dessert Recipes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites
Three simple ingredients come together with ease for a salty-sweet frozen treat that mimics a store-bought favorite for a fraction of the price. My nieces introduced me to Tru Fru last year. The company makes a variety of chocolate covered fruit—raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and more—that are enrobed in dark or milk chocolate (or some of…
Mom’s Classic Strawberry Shortcake
While this classic recipe is traditionally served as dessert, my family has long enjoyed it for the occasional dinner when local strawberries are in season. Served with milk or yogurt, it’s great for breakfast too! Making strawberry shortcake with freshly picked, local berries has long been tradition in my family. My sister and I loved…
Derby Pie
This irresistible dessert is everything you love about a chocolate chip cookie but in pie form, plus a hint of Southern charm. Easy to make and always a hit! Derby Pie is essentially a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie with pecans (or walnuts if you prefer) nestled in a flaky pie crust. More pie details…
Toll House Pie
Everything you love about a chocolate chip cookie but in pie form, this irresistible dessert is a breeze to make and always a hit! This pie dates back to when my boys, now in their twenties, were toddlers and we’d often get together with friends and their kids for casual weekend dinners. The kids would…
